Of course that opinion piece is spot on. I love it how this US administration talk about how Canada has been terrible to them, very bad, Canada has taken advantage of the US. But they never seem to go into specifics do they? Americans are all gung ho about business people running the country. But how long would one last in an actual business doing things the way these guys are doing?

For some reason Americans as opposed to Canadians never go a lesson that was instilled in me by my grandma since when I was a boy. That is that it doesn't cost you anything to be nice or polite. They mistakenly interpret being nice or polite as a sign of weakness. In the case of Trump base they refer to this behavior as betas. Because of course alphas spend their days going around kicking weaker people in the balls . That's what real men do!

Whatever, unlike Sanjeev I won't ask Americans or Ms Sanders to kiss my arse cause I don't want them anywhere near my area. But I hope that next time they need some diplomats rescued or some people pulled from under the rubble of fallen buildings they call the North Koreans instead of us. I hear they're great people and we're a bunch of douchebags. Btw, I think some of NYFD members may share this thought given the attitude towards them by Republican politicians - shameful!

As for Sarah Sanders, I don't know if I can blame her for anything. Can you really blame the scorpion for stinging the the frog? She got her job because she had less shame than Sean Spicer (the guy who stole mini-fridges). It also seems to run in the family. Her dad thinks that it's totally cool to refuse business to a bunch of gay dudes if you want. But if somehow his progeny gets refused her chicken dinner, then all of a sudden "bigotry in on the menu". HA!

For some reason Americans as opposed to Canadians never go a lesson that was instilled in me by my grandma since when I was a boy. That is that it doesn't cost you anything to be nice or polite. They mistakenly interpret being nice or polite as a sign of weakness. In the case of Trump base they refer to this behavior as betas. Because of course alphas spend their days going around kicking weaker people in the balls . That's what real men do!

These comparisons between populations aren't helpful and are fraught with bias.

"Nice" and "polite" are also a very subjective. I personally like humble, unassuming types, and associate those characteristics with niceness. Overconfidence irks me. I'm sure there are people who are perfectly nice (well meaning, generous etc.) yet would rub me the wrong way because of their assertiveness or lack of grace.

I've been hearing more of this alpha/beta talk over the past year. One of the dads at a recent school BBQ referred to himself as an alpha in idle conversation. I had no idea what to do with it. Just makes me cringe.

Yeah, it’s common knowledge that the 35 million Canadian people have been so mean to the 325 million people of the United States. They have been constantly brutalized and picked on by nasty Canadians for many years.

OR

Might it have something to do with the fact that Trump is so unpopular north of the border that even the “Trump” Hotel in Toronto had to dump the Trump name last year much to his embarrassment - If a narcissistic sociopath has the capacity to be embarrassed. There now, how's that for nasty?

As a dual citizen, I mean, Canada is usually in the right. It's become even worse as America has become a joke under this administration and allied relationships are "on hold" until America can elect a real president.

Anyways to our northerly friends, our friendship has not been forgotten by the thinking class here in America, but we've got a brain dead idiot in office so we just have to wait it out.